"Carnation"

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About The Carnation

The Carnation is also known as a Pink, Clove pink, Gillie, Gilly Flower, Divine flower, Jove’s Flower, and Sop’s-in-wine. The botanical name is Dianthus caryophyllus, pronounced 'di-an-thus kar-i-o-fil-us'. The Carnation is native to the far east.

Excellent for floral bouquets, carnations are showy, colorful and long-lasting flowers. Some carnations produce richly fragrant blooms. The Carnation is a longstanding favorite cut flower.

Carnation colors range from red, pink, white, to shades of yellow, peach, salmon, orange, purple, lavender, maroon, with bicolor and frosted types. Almost any color except for blue. Some white varieties have an aromatic clove scent.

Carnation history starts with mention of its use in garlands worn by the classical Greeks and Romans. It was referred to in Roman mythology and Pliny noted the Carnation in natural history records in 50 B.C. Carnations have been used medicinally to control fevers and expel poison, as a dye for black hair, and to flavor beer, ale, and wine.

Dianthus comes from the Greek words "dios", refering to the god Zeus, and "anthos", meaning flower, thus we have divine flower or flower of the gods (named by the Greek botanist Theoparastus).

The name Carnation may have originated from the word 'coronation', or 'corone' (which means flower garland), for Carnations were one of the flowers used to make ceremonial crowns in Greece. Also coronations were decorative headbands made of woven flowers worn by young maidens. Carnations were used for this. And 'pink' is derived from a word meaning scalloped describing the shape of the edges of carnation petals.

Carnation cut flowers are available all year round. Nowadays florist Carnations are grown near Bogota, Columbia , in Colorado and California, and in Israel, Kenya and Spain. The best growing climate is a cool mountainous region with high light - moderate climates enable low-cost outdoor production with a minimum of protection from cold.

It is best to buy Carnations before they are fully open. Purchase solitary blooming forms (standard, chinese, and midi types) when the buds are half open. Carnations bearing several flowers on a stem (spray, micro, and dianthini types) are best bought when the majority of the buds are showing color, with a few buds half open. Buy pinks when only a few buds show color. See below for more information on the different types.

What to Do When You Receive Your Carnation Cut Flowers

1. Unpack your flowers straightaway.

2. Use a clean vase. Fill it with clean lukewarm water and add a floral preservative solution, following the instructions provided. If unavailable you can use 2/3 water and 1/3 lemonade.

It is best to use distilled or bottled water for maximum vase life for your carnations. The quality of tap water can vary a lot and in areas with larger concentrations of chemicals a Carnation's life span can be markedly shortened. Avoid using tap water from a water softener.

3. Cut off all the leaves on the stem that would be below the water level in the vase. Otherwise these will rot, pollute the water and shorten the life of your Carnations. Also remove any damaged leaves or flowers, and any yellowing foliage.

4. Cut off about 1 inch (2.5cm) from the bottom of the flower stems between the leaf joints, with the stems under water. Make the cut at an angle so that the flower stems do not rest flat on the bottom of the vase.

By doing this you help your Carnation flowers to maintain water uptake. Air bubbles and debris tends to collect in the bases of the stems and ,if this is not removed, water flow in the stems is greatly restricted. The cut should be at an angle and not flat across. You do not want the flower stems resting flat on the bottom of the vase since this will also restrict water uptake.

5. Arrange your flowers in the vase so that they are attractively displayed.

6. In Carnation care it is important to keep them in a cool place and out of direct sunlight. Avoid draughts which will dehydrate the flowers. They do not like very hot or cold areas. In a hot place in the direct sun the flowers will soon die. Avoid standing the vase on electrical appliances because they give off heat.

7. Carnations are sensitive to even very small amounts of ethylene which may result in shrivelling and browning of the petals, or drooping and failure to open. So keep them away from fruit and vegetables, and dying flowers as these all give off ethylene gas to some degree.

Caring For Your Carnation Flowers

1. Check the water level frequently and top up the vase with lukewarm water to avoid chilling the flowers.

2. Regularly remove damaged, or dying flowers and foliage. This helps the flowers last longer.

3. Every 4-5 days remove the flowers from the vase. And cut off about 1 inch (2.5cm) from the bottom of the flower stems under water and at an angle . This will maintain good water uptake. Carnations are prone to blocked stems caused by a build up of bacteria in the water, so change the preservative solution as well.

Flower Life

If you give your Carnation care, it will generally last from 7 to 14 days, and even up to three weeks. The flower can be pressed and dried.

It is inadvisable to keep Chrysanthemums and Carnations together in the same vase. Water in vases containing Carnations produces bacteria that can reduce the life of the Chrysanthemums when both flowers are held in the same container.

Types of Carnation

There are over 300 species of Dianthus (besides Dianthus caryophyllus, the typical flower Carnation), and hundreds more of hybrid varieties. The group includes annuals, biennials and perennials. The foliage is narrow, linear, 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) long, and an attractive green to glaucous blue with a waxy covering.

Carnations are available either with one large flower per stem, or as sprays with several smaller flowers on each stem. The different forms of florist Carnations are described below:-

There is more Carnation flower information available. Please check out the links on the left at the top of the page. Click here for more Carnation Information.

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